


Beneath the Trees in Eldamar

by Enonem



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 13:20:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13249074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enonem/pseuds/Enonem
Summary: Set just after the end of The Last Jedi.





	Beneath the Trees in Eldamar

**Author's Note:**

> The title has nothing to do with Star Wars. It's from a quote in the Silmarillion, which came into my mind just after seeing TLJ: "But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar" (it's the line just following Finrod's death).  
> The thought of Luke being reunited with his father was the only thing that supported me in the aftermath of the film. So...

Luke felt light. It was not that the weariness from his last effort had gone. It felt more like he did not have a body at all. He tried to open his eyes and found that he did have eyes to see with. There was not much to see. His surroundings were blurred and confused, as though he was not really in a place at all. Or rather, as though he was everywhere at once. His instincts told him that the latter was closer to the truth.

When he raised his hands in front of him he was not surprised to find them glowing faintly blue, but it took him a moment to notice that both his hands were there. That should not have surprised him either.

So, he was dead. Dead, but not gone. He knew that he could still make contact with the living, he could still influence events. He had not abandoned his cares, but now he could at least take some rest from them.

He did not rest long before he heard a voice. He had only heard it once, but the presence that came with it was unmistakable.

"Luke."

His father appeared in front of him.

He looked just as Luke had seen him on Endor. A man in his middle years with short dark hair and a smile on his face. This time there was a touch of sadness to the smile.  
If Luke had had a breath, it would have caught in his throat.

"Father," he answered back. 

Anakin shook his head. "Why, my son? Why did you leave?"

Luke wondered what he meant. Why did he retreat on the island? Why did he let himself die? Why did he cut himself from the Force for so long? And he realised that his father meant all three and that the question spoken was not really the question asked. Memories flooded over him of a black mask that managed to look in pain, of his own pleading, choked out voice, of grateful eyes surrounded by terrible scars. And of wounded, frightened eyes flooded in green light.

Even the dead can feel shame and Luke could not look at his father anymore.

He closed his eyes against some very real tears. "Because I failed him,” he whispered. “I failed him and could not accept my mistake." There was a hot wetness on his cheeks. "I was arrogant."

"Oh, son," Anakin breathed.

Luke slowly looked up, bracing himself to see yet another face looking down at him with the pain of betrayal. His father was also crying, but he looked at him with understanding and sympathy.

"Forgive me," Luke said.

Anakin smiled through his tears. He advanced with his arms wide until he pulled his son close.

Luke hugged his father back and buried his face in his shoulder. The same mix of joy and sorrow that he had felt on the Death Star half a lifetime ago hit him again.

"I've never had to, Luke," Anakin said. "It's alright now. Trust in the girl and in your sister. Let go."

And Luke did. Held like a child in his father's arms, he allowed himself to be at peace.


End file.
